Food focus: Jamie's Italian

The philosophy behind the chain - there are existing branches in Oxford, Brighton, Bath and Kingston - is very simple, as Oliver explained.

He said: "We aim to give people the chance to have a £40 meal for £20. What I want is the PAs and the secretaries to come in to eat there, as well as the CEOs and bankers.

"The food has to be good and we know that people in Canary Wharf have a limited time for lunches, so we've designed the kitchens to be able to respond to the demand of that lunch trade.

"Hopefully people will find it fits into what they want."

So, does it deliver? It helps that his mentor, Gennaro Contaldo, has been on hand to oversee things in the kitchen and the veteran chef has certainly not been wasting his time.

The menu is designed to celebrate the best of the Italian eating experience, with the emphasis very much on the sharing and, well, just tucking in.

The seasonal meat antipasti (£6.50 a head) served on a wooden board gives everyone in your party a chance to dig in to prosciutto, salami, mozzarella and more besides. There is also a vegetable version featuring aubergine, peppers and artichoke.

Mains include "Spiedini" Sicilain pork skewer (pictured) (£11.95), a succulent herby treat, and chicken cooked under a brick (£12.50), which thankfully arrives without masonry but with bags of flavour.

There are expected pasta dishes like spaghetti bolognese and carbonara, although the more decadent may want to sample the truffle tagliatelle (£8.50).

Deserts include Italian ice cream with smashed honeycomb and hot chocolate sauce (£3.95) and a very good tiramisu (£4.75), while the affogato - vanilla ice cream with espresso (£4.25) will satisfy anyone in a hurry by combining a sweet and coffee in one hit.

The wine list is uncomplicated and affordable. Whites include a Sauvignon Blanc (£17.95) and single estate Pinot Grigio (£22.50), while the Merlot (£14.50) is a more than acceptable red.

The beer options, Messina (£3.45) and Castello (£3.85), make a pleasant change from the usual suspects found in Italian restaurants, while there is also a decent choice of house spirits (from £2.15).

Oliver himself has been very hands-on in the build up to the opening, visiting the restaurant as often as he can in recent weeks to pass on his knowledge and enthusiasm. The upshot is waiting staff who know their way round the menu and are attentive and aware, not always a given in London.

Anyone passing through these portals looking for a pizza will be disappointed, there's not a calzone or margherita to be seen, but all in all Jamie's Italian an impressive addition to Canary Wharf's dining scene.

For an exclusive interview with Jamie Oliver click here

Jamie's Italian
Churchill Place
Canary Wharf
E14 5AB
020 3002 5252

jamieoliver.com